Qualifier Vipasha Mehra of Maharashtra showed strong will-power to fight and tremendous energy levels as she put up a gallant display to knock out fourth seed Sanya Singh in a marathon girls singles quarter-final match of the All India Nationals Under-16 (boys & girls) tennis tournament in Mumbai.
Placed 63rd in the All India Tennis Association’s ranking list, the Pune-based Vipasha, who had defeated eighth seed Gargi Pawar in the previous round, produced another gutsy performance against Sanya in three long-drawn and energy-draining sets, winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) in a little over four hours.
The left-handed Vipasha, who showed more aggression and had a stronger service, started well as she comfortably won the first set, but Sanya did well to win the second to level the scores and force the decider.
In the third set, Sanya managed to stay in the fight and saved four match points in the 12th game to take the set to a tie-breaker. Vipasha raced to a 3-1 and 4-2 lead before Sanya managed to draw level at 4-4. After both players won a point each, Vipasha managed to take the next two points to close out the match.
Second seeds Udit Gogoi of Assam and Prerna Vichare of Maharashtra both smoothly progressed to the boys’ and girls’ singles semi-finals respectively. The Assam youngster Udit, number five on the AITA Ranking list, charged past his 99th-ranked opponent Nishant Dabas of Delhi, winning the quarter-final 6-1, 6-3.
In the girls’ singles quarter-final encounter, the India No 3 Prerna dropped just one game as she went on to record an crushing 6-1, 6-0 defeat over Uttar Pradesh’s 16th-ranked Vanshika Choudhary, who had had no answers to her rival’s superior power play.
In the penultimate round, Prerna will clash with Sudipta Senthil Kumar, who prevailed over Telangana’s Sanjana Sirimalla in straight sets. The Maharashtra girl Sudipta showed more consistency and managed to pull off a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Meanwhile, in an interesting boys singles match, fourth seed Divesh Gahlot of Haryana showed solid fighting qualities as he rallied from a set down to overcome seventh seed Dhruv Tangri 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 to make the semi-finals.
Results:
Girls singles (quarter-finals): Sandeepti Rao (HR) bt 9-Sharanya Gaware (MH) 6-3, 6-1; Q-Vipasha Mehra (MH) bt 4-Sanya Singh (MH) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5); Sudipta Senthil Kumar (MH) bt Sanjana Sirimalla (TS) 6-4, 6-4; 2-Prerna Vichare (MH) bt 12-Vanshika Choudhary (UP) 6-1, 6-0.
Boys singles (quarter-finals): Mohit Bondre (GJ) bt Naresh Badgujar (CH) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; 3-Sushant Dabas (HR) bt Sammr Raina (DL) 6-3, 7-6(3); 4-Divesh Gahlot (HR) bt 7-Dhruv Tangri (PB) 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2; 2-Udit Gogoi (AS) bt Nishant Dabas (DL) 6-1, 6-3.
Girls’ doubles (semi-finals): Sandeepti Rao (HR)/ Vanshika Choudhary (UP) bt Sunskruthi Damera (TS)/Lakshmi Vutukuru (AP) 6-3, 6-2; Richa Chougule (MH)/Prerna Vichare (MH) bt Vipasha Mehra (MH)/Hrudaya Shah (MH) 4-6, 7-5, 12-10.
Boys’ doubles (semi-finals): Sushant Dabas (HR)/Divesh Gahlot (HR) bt Naresh Badgujar (CH)/Udit Gogoi (AS) 6-4, 3-6, 10-7; Uddayvir Singh (CH)/Dhruv Tangri (PB) bt Bhupinder Dahiya (HR)/Krishan Hooda (CH) 6-4, 6-4.
